Speaker Nembang held informal meetings with the chief whips of the Nepali Congress (NC) and UCPN (Maoist) Laxman Ghimire and Post Bahadur Bogati respectively at his office on Wednesday as chances are neither candidate -- Pushpa Kamal Dahal of the UCPN (Maoist) or Ram Chandra Poudel of NC - will secure enough votes in parliament. [break]
According to NC Chief Whip Ghimire, Speaker Nembang expressed concern over the course of politics should neither candidate garnered a majority in parliament even in the next round of voting.
“There is no alternative to electing one of the two candidates currently in the race,” said Ghimire. “The speaker is worried as there appears slim chance of electing a prime minister.”
According to existing parliamentary regulations, there is no legal provision for withdrawing a candidacy. Current parliamentary regulations require that the election process continue until one of the candidates is elected through a majority vote in parliament. There have already been two rounds of voting.
While the support of the CPN-UML and Madhes-based parties is a must for a NC-led majority government, the Maoists can form a government with the support of Madhesi parties alone in the current mathematical equation in parliament.
But both these prospects appear unlikely as the UML is adamant in its stance not to vote for a majority government and Madhes-based parties argue that they cannot lend support to the Maoists in their ´current state´.
Tarai Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP) Joint General Secretary Jitendra Sonar said all the other parties including United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF), an alliance of four Madhes-based parties including TMDP, had decided about a month ago that they cannot support a Maoist-led government if the Maoists remains in a ´status quo´ situation.
Among other things, they demanded that the Maoists must immediately start the process of severing their links with arms and combatants.
Sonar argued that there has not been any change in the Maoist party since that decision was taken. “Madhesi parties won´t vote for a Maoist-led government as the party has not brought about change in any of its dimensions,” he added. “I see slim chance of a Maoist-led government taking shape in the next round of voting, given this situation.”
Analysts argue that the only way to break the deadlock in the given circumstances would be to forge a consensus between NC and the Maoists to elect one of the candidates in the race and give shape to a national consensus government.
This will not only pave the way for the CPN-UML to become a part of the new government but also ensure conclusion of the ongoing peace process and promulgation of a new constitution.
koshraj@myrepublica.com
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